Nike Stadium x VBS – Playmakers Tokyo | Videos

What does Japan and Brazil have in common? A nation of people with passion for soccer? Apparently, there is more than that. Bathing in the glow of the 2010 FIFA World Cup (Bless Japan for putting up a good fighting and giving the audience a good penalty kick to watch at the end), it seems like Japan and Brazil are easily tied together by Japan’s national team player, Marcus Tulio Tanaka. For those who are unfamiliar with the talented player, Tanaka was born in Brazil, and spoke no word of Japanese until he actually moved there to play soccer. Currently, his family still resides in Sao Paulo, and he is the only one in Japan. Aside from Tanaka, there is actually a sizable community of Japanese Brazilian playmakers, who are all important contributors and tastemakers in their respective fields. Nike Stadium and VBS has teamed up to examine the lives of these playmakers whose profession range from musicians to soccer players and artists.

The team has not only spoken to these tastemakers, but has also visited Tanaka’s family in Brazil, and heard anecdotes of Tanaka’s childhood, how he got into soccer and various cute personal stories. Also, Tanaka gives quite a personal account of his transition from Brazil back to Japan, and what being Japanese Brazilian means to him. Check out the well-made videos, and learn about the playmakers who connect two seemingly disparate nations on different continents in the world together.